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  • Up-to-date information about California vascular plants is available from the Jepson eFlora.

ASTERACEAE

SUNFLOWER FAMILY

David J. Keil, Family Editor and author, except as specified

Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1–many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1–many per head
Flowers bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, ± small, of several types; calyx 0 or modified into pappus of bristles, scales, or awns, which is generally persistent in fruit; corolla radial or bilateral (rarely 0), lobes generally (0)4–5; stamens 4–5, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, often appendaged at tips, bases, or both, filaments generally free, generally attached to corolla near throat; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, style 1, branches 2, generally hair-tufted at tip, stigmas 2, generally on inside of style branches
Fruit: achene, cylindric to ovoid, generally deciduous with pappus attached
Genera in family: ± 1300 genera, 21,000 species (largest family of dicots): worldwide. Largest family in CA. Also see tribal key to CA genera: Strother 1997 Madroño 44(1):1–28. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.

HYPOCHAERIS

CAT'S-EAR

G. Ledyard Stebbins

Annual, perennial herb; sap milky
Stems erect, 1–8 dm
Leaves basal, entire or lobed
Inflorescence: heads ligulate, 1–few, in ± flat-topped cyme; phyllaries few, overlapping in a graduated series; receptacle chaffy with thin scales
Flowers generally many; ligules yellow, readily withering
Fruit long-beaked or outer cylindric, beakless; pappus of stiff, plumose bristles, or outer shorter and barbed
Species in genus: ± 50 species: Eurasia, n Africa, South America
Etymology: (Greek: name from Theophrastus)

Introduced

H. radicata L.

ROUGH CAT'S-EAR

Perennial, rough-hairy
Stems several from fleshy per root, 4–8 dm
Leaves 6–14 cm, toothed or lobed
Inflorescence: involucre 12–16 mm
Flowers: ligules large, conspicuous
Fruit: achene body 3–4 mm, < or = slender beak; pappus 9–10 mm, tawny or dull white
Chromosomes: 2n=8
Ecology: Abundant. Pernicious weed of lawns, disturbed places, especially n CA and near coast
Elevation: < 500 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range Foothills, n Sierra Nevada Foothills, Sacramento Valley, Central Western California, South Coast
Distribution outside California: native to Europe

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